Originally Posted by Cassirin

Tate stood. "Students. I'd like to welcome you once again to Hogwarts for another exciting term. For those who read the Daily Prophet, you may have seen that we are celebrating an exciting anniversary this term, and your staff has been hard at work with some events that will help us feel the true spirit of all that Hogwarts has to offer. If you'd like to help us celebrate or you have any additional idea, please feel free to share them with me via owl."

With a gesture, Tate pointed out the new staff members spread out along the table. "We would like to welcome some new faces to the staff table, as well as the new faces we are welcoming to each house table. Please do not inundate their office with greetings, but I hope you will make them very welcome in the coming weeks. Remember what it is like to be new and offer them all your support."

And now... almost time to eat? "I don't have much more to say this term, aside from the usual... don't die. Eat your vegetables. Write to your parents, because they miss you. And... be kind to each other. We're all in this together. As you begin your meal, I'd like to invite Nimma the house elf to speak to you briefly." He figured they could now eat AND listen.

Originally Posted by Nimma

Nimma cleared her little throat.

"I have words for studentsies. A humble elf request for studentsies. Nimma and Tinka and Pips and Quirly and other elves have all worked very very hard this summer. Elf matters are important to elves and our elf matter is our Baby Elf. Our Baby Elf does not have a name, and our Baby Elf does not like names that Nimma and other elves have chosen! Nimma asks students respectfully to help Nimma and other elves name our Baby Elf. Nimma would please invite students to make name suggestions and Nimma and other elves shall make a big list of names and all names can be picked and chosen from a big list and studentsies can choose the name! This is a big special honor bestowed by elves, studentsies." She bowed furiously. "Nimma thanks studentsies for helping last year and Nimma would like help now too. Nimma says thank you and humbly asks for names to be put on papers and slipped under the kitchen door! Nimma thanks studentsies again! Nimma shall go now." She bowed and disapparated with a pop.

Originally Posted by The Giant Squid

Originally Posted by ♦ Peeves ♦

"Ain't it a glorious day
Peevesy is out to play!
I feel like I could flyyyy."

The sing-song voice of the one and only Peeves the Poltergeist could be heard echoing as he swoooooped out a window and headed for the grounds. Sotto voce, he addressed himself.

"Now Peevesy none of your larking about!"

His voice was muffled as he floated through a wall, then he reappeared again dressed in a red, orange and white striped blazer, a blue bow tie and white gloves, and of course a marvellous matching straw boater hat. He was dashing, he was.

"Its a jolly holiday for Peevesy!
Peevesy makes you scream in fright!"

The ethereal and incorrigible Peeves floated outside and, spotting a blonde lady sitting there doing nothing, he just thought he would do his poltergeistly duties and spice things up a bit.

"'e 'asn't changed a bit 'as 'e?"

He cackled and swooped in close, then off, off to see what all those children were doing.

Originally Posted by BOWTRUCKLES!

Fingers flexing, it scampered across the grass quicker than usual. It was exposed and not liking it. And so far from where it wanted to be.

A tree type thing had been spotted in the distance though, and it wanted to get there as soon as possible.

Only it wasn't a proper tree. It was a giraffe made of tree. But as the Bowtruckle pulled itself up the long neck, and started trying to dig for insects, it failed to notice this fact.

Originally Posted by THESTRAL!

Head down, ears pinned back, this lonely thestral made it's way across the not so familiar grounds of Hogwarts. Exposed, confused and feeling vulnerable, he moved toward the front gate at a glacial pace.

His skeletal frame jutted along, hooves clinking on loose stones uncomfortably. It was at this point he came to a halt, ears perking slightly, and nostils flaring. There was a gate in his way, technically though, there was nothing really keeping him here. He could always return to the forest, spread his wings and disappear like the ghost that he was to most people.

Feeling a little frustrated and out of place, he took to gnawing at the harsh iron gate, withers quivering as he did so.

Originally Posted by BOWTRUCKLES!

The Bowtruckle was still trying to dig away at the leaves of the tree with it's sharp claws. There had to be bugs there somewhere. It's usual tree had bark, why was this so different?

Pulling it's head back out of the foliage, it turned around and looked at the two children that had approached the giraffe. Fear started to cloud it's eyes, and it scrambled backwards, tumbling to the floor.

It's eyes darted around until it spotted something else. As the two girls walked back over to the bench, the Bowtruckle followed and began to chew on the leg of the white bench.

Originally Posted by HIPPOGRIFF!

Magestic.

That's what he was, but he didn't feel magestic.

Quietly he inched towards the duck pond, making sure none of the kids were near him. He needed a drink of water, so he inched slowly and went to drink from the pond. A duck came quacking over, and the Magestic hippogriff moved back behind a nearby tree, frightened of what the creature would do next.

Originally Posted by THESTRAL!

The thestral slowly and cautiously followed the trail of scrap meat to the edge of the forest. His ears were pinned back against his head, and his large leathery wings were raised slightly. His milky white eyes scanned the edge of the forest nervously.

He could see he wasn't alone... he could see others in the shadows of the trees.

Originally Posted by UNICORN!

Originally Posted by BLAST-ENDED SKREWT!

The Skrewt scuttled along the pathways, occasionally letting out farts of fire whenever he hit a root in the road.

BOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFT!

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULA!

Eight very large and very hairy legs appeared on one of the pumpkins in the vegetable patch followed by eight beady eyes. The Acromantula whose name was Ranog watched the children run away through the snow.

A pity. They would have made a tasty feast.

Originally Posted by CHIMAERA!

Driven out of his home, the Chimaera stalked through the grounds of this new strange place. His large tail swished a couple of times as he walked and saliva dripped from his jaws.

He was hungry. He was ALWAYS hungry.

As luck would have it, he spied some humans just up ahead and he quickened his pace, ready for an attack. But as he got closer, he saw one of the forest beasts lying upon its back and the humans standing around it. The chimaera did not like this one bit.

A low grumbling growl emitted from his throat to make his presence known.

Originally Posted by ACROMANTULA!

The adult human was definitely the most sensible one. Didn't mean that Ranog wouldn't eat him. "My name is Ranog." he said with four eyes on the human speaking to him and the other four watching the other humans.

"I know that!" Did this human think he wanted to be away from the comforts of his home? Being out in the open and having to put up with the likes of those silly children. "There is something in the forest. We do not know what it is but it feels...wrong. We won't go back until it is gone."

Could he eat now?

Originally Posted by The Narrator

Still banging his shiny nut on the ground, the squirrel let out a tiny squeak and looked up, frightened by the shadow looming over him. He clutched the nut to his chest and eyed the tall creature making rustling noises and scattering something that smelled A-MAZ-ING.

"SQUEEEAK!!!!" the squirrel flipped out, recognizing the sight and smell of tastyliscious almonds. He quickly dropped the orb, which rolled toward the Ravenclaw's foot slowly, in favor of pouncing on the almonds. The squirrel continued to stuff as many almonds as he could in his bulbous cheeks, the bright, shiny nut already long forgotten.

Originally Posted by CHIMAERA!

Whatever the big human fired at him caused a funny sensation to run through his body but that was about it. He was really starting to get annoyed with the whole thing and out of the corner of his eye, he could see more of the small humans milling around.

He wanted to eat...someone!

Backing up a little, the Chimaera was just starting to weigh up his options of who was the best one to attack when he felt it.

It was the same feeling he'd had in the Forest. The thing was now out here. The Chimaera gave one last growl and sprinted off to head back into his home.

Originally Posted by The Narrator

The orb did not like being passed around hand to hand so lightly. It did not appreciate the male Ravenclaw attempting to blast it open, nor did it approve of being stuffed into a pocket like an old Chocolate Frog.

As soon as the orb was seemingly forgotten by the female Ravenclaw who had fetched it in the first place, the bright little bulb started to worm its way away. It twitched and wiggled in so subtle a motion that the girl most likely could not feel the motion of its movement. It also dimmed the light that lit it from within and, once it reached the seam of her pocket, it dropped right out and started rolling away.

Just keep rolling, just keep rolling, just keep rolling, rolling, rolling.... down the corridor and through the hall, to somewhere else it goes!

Originally Posted by The Narrator

Still rolling, rolling, rolling right out of the Ravenclaw Common Room, the darkened orb came to stop as it bounced into a Gryffindor's foot.

Sensing the presence of a new stranger - or two - the orb started shining bright, brighter than a full moon, in the hopes that either the awkward boy or the girl with the badge (preferably the latter) would pick it up.